Gerrard v Gio what was different tonight?

Out of possession was a 4-4-2(or 4-4-1-1) rather than the 4-3-2-1 used for the last few seasons.
 
Less messing around at the back. You could see that Tav was determined to clear the ball rather than looking for a man to play it to.
 
Tactically more astute, less demand to play one way and one way only, no fucking around at the back, no constant demand to take a short goal kick, playing alfie in the box, and a big one for me - winning near post headers when defending plays
 
Davis said it, "when to go, when not to go". That's very Dutch. How and when to break down inferior opposition.
We can't go full blast for 90 minutes even when we've got all the ball, so it's short, sharp bursts. The timing of the attacks and patterns of play, subtle changes and a much more flexible side I thought.
Gerrard was a great player, but powerful and direct. Showed in his management at times.
Gio was classier, better at playing through rather than powering through opponents.
Keep it tight enough at the back (our only real worry about a Dutch style side in Scotland) and we'll be frightening. Gio will really get the best out of our creative players imo.
Real exciting time.
Said that to the Mrs when she asked how the new guy was going. I called it playing in moments, tidy in play for the most part but hitting hard and fast when the chance came. Much better
 
Gerrard delivered us fantastic European nights at Ibrox and that should not be forgotten. He absolutely loved the big European games. There is nothing to compare after one game. Well done Gio , well done to the team. And thanks to Gerrard for getting us to the stage where we needed to win tonight to get through. Upwards and onwards.
 
Patterson playing further forward is exciting but I think he needs to become more comfortable receiving the ball with his back to goal. If he can drop the shoulder and spin his marker or play the balls round the corner then the sky’s the limit!

Obs he already has bags of ability but he is definitely stronger receiving the ball with the game in front of him which allows him to use his attributes to drive forward.
 
Like others have said hunger. Gerrard and his team had lost it.

We were far quicker moving in attack and a higher press than we've had all season.

We created the most chances we have this season. Even in games against poor teams like Sparta, Brondby, Malmö we were barely creating any chances under Gerrard this season. If it wasn't a set piece we weren't doing much.

Time will tell about Gio compared to Gerrard and his previous seasons. It's only been a few days but the style seems different. We were more flat in midfield and secure through that under peak Gerrard. With a lot of our attacking and creativity coming through fullback and the midfield covering them.

With Gio it seems like the fullbacks will still get forward but won't be as attacking and won't have a central midfielder dropping wide to cover them. Will be interesting to see how our tactics develop as Gio's tenure goes on.
 
I thought we looked solid, less open than under Gerrard. There was an aggression that hasn't been there all season. We wobbled a bit in the last 20 minutes but that's to be expected with Sparta chasing the game. Couldn't ask for more to be honest.
 
Said that to the Mrs when she asked how the new guy was going. I called it playing in moments, tidy in play for the most part but hitting hard and fast when the chance came. Much better
Definitely. Gerrard teams could rely on an individual (usually Aribo) breaking the line but could go sideways or back a lot and if nothing was happening, throw in a cross. Or go long. That's very British. Goldson with a long ball was a good option. Still a good, British direct option. Did he even try one 70 yarder to Kent tonight? Few good passes, but crisp ones into midfield iirc. Often we'd kind of hope something would happen with all our possession. A Dutch style team will usually make something happen even if in bursts.
 
Control (Gerrard) vs being more direct (Gio).

I think Gio will create more chances but we’ll probably have more nervy endings.

I’m annoyed at how he left but not going to slag him as I loved the control Gerrard’s system gave us in big games but I think it stifled us in the majority of SPFL games.

I think our level might drop in Europe (not a huge amount) but we will improve significantly against domestic competition.

Hopeful that Morelos and Kent, possible Hagi will really kick on with more space to exploit.

Gio will likely be more pragmatic/tactically flexible and adapt to opposition. It was the one of the two blotches on Gerrard’s copy book. The other being lack of cup success.

I’d be more confident going to the piggery in the new year with Gerrard but more confident winning the league with Gio.
 
Let’s not forget Gerrard lead us into the position to qualify tonight and took us through the groups the two previous seasons.

A fantastic achievement considering where we were when he came through the door.

Gerrard is the past Gio is the future. It’s time to look forward not back.
It’s easy to be overly critical of a man who’s record in Europe was astonishingly good until this season.
 
Definitely. Gerrard teams could rely on an individual (usually Aribo) breaking the line but could go sideways or back a lot and if nothing was happening, throw in a cross. Or go long. That's very British. Goldson with a long ball was a good option. Still a good, British direct option. Did he even try one 70 yarder to Kent tonight? Few good passes, but crisp ones into midfield iirc. Often we'd kind of hope something would happen with all our possession. A Dutch style team will usually make something happen even if in bursts.
There's was a few. Also just realised less rubbish crosses from easily defended areas from Tavernier.
 
First game for GVB and I am happy, looked like we knew what was needed, players covering and the fact that paterson was brought on to cover for Tav speaks a lot for the management of the game.
 
Less messing around at the back. You could see that Tav was determined to clear the ball rather than looking for a man to play it to.
Sorry but all he done was one thankfull header away, Tav is still so much out of form. He has been great for us but it looks like his confidence has deserted him. I think other teams have saw that and are picking him out. I was sticking up for him a few weeks ago but he reallyneeds to get his confidence back.
 
Players sprinting and hunting in packs as opposed to token jogging from a group of individuals. McGregor making the saves we know he can, not conceding almost every shot on target as has been happening. Morelos playing like Morelos instead of his won a ticket to play twin brother. Defenders defending, not so long ago we would've been conceding a goal like our 2nd tonight. World of difference yet we still have so much to work on to get near the standards of last season.
 
Effort levels looked a lot closer to last season levels for starters. Seeing Morelos bump a defender out his stride and then run into a Channel after 7 seconds almost gave me a semi.
 
On
first of all we clearly pressed higher than we have been recently which paid dividends. Im not entirely sure why Gerrard wasnt implementing that this season like he had done seasons before.

Starting Aribo Kent and Hagi is a must for me as often as we possibly can. they have everything, creativity, work rate and awareness to get in between the lines and create space for themselves and others.

Morelos was more direct, which suits him alot more. he still ran the channels like he used to and won free kicks.

Cant get carried away but it certainly felt more direct and we played with a little less width than we did under Gerrard.
One word....effort.
 
One thing about Gio & his team - they must have watched an awful lot of footage in such a short time to spot the tactical problems in time for game day 1.

No doubt we would have been scouted a fair bit when we played Feyenoord, but they just seemed to know exactly where to start.
 
We have a manager who will play our main striker in the box unlike the previous incumbent.
 
Gio has hunger, and Gerrard had lost his. That passes across to the team, it is as simple as that.
Agreed, the team looked far more hungry, Morelos looked far more hungry and McGregor pulling off the big saves again, they all looked far more confident on the ball
 
A few things.

Barasic told to do more...Tav told to do less.

Used the ball in the last third by knocking into space which worked well at times. Tried in general to move the ball quicker. A few times lines were cleared whereas before more football was tried to be played.

In the main the change worked-effort was brilliant across the board however playing like that meant giving the ball away a bit more and I do think playing SG style we would have controlled the last 15 better we struggled to adapting back to holding onto the ball.

Absolutely a great performance, great start for Gio and a great night for the club after the nightmare on Sunday.
 
Big difference he has told Morelos to stop coming so deep all the time.

He clear knows that Aribo, Kent and Hagi are our most creative players we need to find away to play them in the team all times.

Less crosses, only cross when it felt it was required.

Defensively bar the last 10 mins more solid and organised. McGregor looked interested again like he wanted to keep a clean sheet again.
 
I have to say I watched Feyenoord game tonight before ours against the racists, as I did not want to watch the tims, there was a really crazy sending off for Feyenoord player got booked then ref for some reason changed his mind after producing yellow changed it to a red was really soft IMO but watching that team mentality with 10 men still pressed high even though they went behind and got a draw, I thought Toonstra looks a player
 
The rondos are clearly working, felt we got the ball out from under our feet under pressure more quickly and composed tonight.

Quicker into the tackles and more direct in the attack, basically doing the basics.

Clear your lines, find your man, get in the box, one touch pass and move. End result.

It was very different tbh to those who know football. Like watching a different team tbh.
 
not quite as many though, I only caught 1 set of to me, to you, to me, to you between kamara and bassey.

There was only one occasion I felt we turned back when could have attacked, near the end of the first half we had an overload with Borna and Kent in the left wing and Kamara didnt make the pass and held on to possession.

It is only the first game after 2 days training, it will be sorted out.
 
To be blunt, the players played for the manager tonight. They haven't did that for Gerrard this season.
TBF I do not just think for the manager they had to prove something to themselves that they still have it after Sunday, as I said in a previous post this is a team that won the league do not become bad players overnight think they just need direction and belief cos things did go stale
 
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